Instructions
Allow yourself to grieve when your pet has died. If you have had to have it put to sleep, console yourself that you performed the last act of kindness for your friend. Remember fondly the happier days when your pet was full of life. Sometimes, when dogs in particular get old, their quality of life is not good and it can be quite sad to see this deterioration.
Find a way to pay tribute to your pet. This could be to bury your pet in the garden and put up a cross or plaque. Plant a few favorite plants or flowers on the grave. You are likely to have many pictures of your pet. Frame one and put it somewhere special in your home. In time, you will be able to look at this with fondness rather than sadness. Make a collage of special happy photographs of you and your pet.
Concentrate on the fact that you gave a pet a happy and good home. Write a poem or an account of your feelings about the loss of your pet, or write special memories and associations.
Make allowances for family members and friends who do not say the right thing. They mean well when they tell you to get another pet, and it is difficult to explain that you cannot actually replace your loss at this time. You might feel ready to get another pet at some point, but this will be a whole new experience, not a replacement.
How to Express the Loss of a Pet
People who lose a much-loved pet face particular difficulties. Chief among these can be the attitude of other people. The words "it was only a dog," if not actually said aloud, seem to hover in the air. The truth is that unless someone has lost a pet he has very little understanding of how deeply a bereaved pet owner feels. So, not only does the person who has lost the pet feel sad, he could also be made to feel guilty for feeling the sadness. In fact, this sadness is natural and understandable. You might have had your pet for a very long time. You probably found love, loyalty and affection in this relationship. Of course you are going to feel sad when you lose your pet.